11 of the best things to do in Montreal this spring

Pick your own tulips from a tulip farm

When: Early to mid-May

Address:

• Tulipes.ca Laval: 1055, rue Principale, Laval, QC
• Tulipes.ca Boucherville: 1201, chemin du Général Vanier, Boucherville, QC

Why You Need To Do This: Each year, Tulipes.ca's sprawling fields of 600,000 multicoloured tulips per field open up for public picking. Frolic through the fields, snap some prime Instagram pics and gather your own tulip bouquet, which you can keep for yourself or gift your mom on Mother's Day. Tulip season is extremely short so you definitely don't want to miss your chance to bask in the beauty of these tulip fields this spring.

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Watch a rare solar eclipse

When: April 8, 2024

Why You Need To Do This: This incredible astronomical phenomenon doesn't come around too often. If you miss this spring's total solar eclipse, you'll probably never catch another one in Montreal (unless you're around in 2205, that is). Watch the moon hide the sun for up to two minutes at one of the city's top vantage points or attend a viewing party event. But beware that to protect your eyes, you will need to wear protective eclipse glasses, which you can get for free at numerous pick-up points around town.

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Try a spring-y new restaurant

Why You Need To Do This: Get into the fresh, seasonal spirit by trying a restaurant you've never been to before. Montreal has a bunch of floral and plant-filled eateries, farm-to-table food and new terrasses opening up when the weather warms so your experience will not only be delicious but also a total mood.

A few suggestions:

• Barranco: serves fresh ceviche, salchipapa and taquitos and is opening its terrasse as early as mid-April
• Atelier Marjorie: known for its pink rose backdrop and is the perfect place for pastries and tea.

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Take a hike

Why You Need To Do This: You don't have to venture too far from the city centre to experience a magical spring hike amidst breathtaking nature. In fact, you don't even need to leave the city at all. Take, for example, Parc-nature du Bois-de-L'Île-Bizard, which is 45 minutes from downtown, and offers a dreamy hike leading to a 500-m hidden footbridge where you can literally walk on water. Get your best hikes in now before it gets too hot out!

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See the cherry blossoms in bloom

When: Early to late May

Why You Need To Do This: Nothing says spring like seeing these gorgeous pink tree flowers in bloom. Did you know Montreal has some of the top spots in the country for seeing cherry blossoms? From the Montreal Botanical Garden to Chinatown to Westmount Park, cherry blossoms are the ultimate way to experience nature in all its glory this spring.

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Walk along one of the coolest streets in the world

Address: Plaza Saint-Hubert — 6905, rue St-Hubert, Montreal, QC

Why You Need To Do This: Plaza Saint-Hubert, recently named among the coolest streets in the world, is the perfect spring destination. For starters, its sidewalks — which were widened as part of a recent renovation project — are partially covered by steel-glass awnings, protecting pedestrians from the fallouts of spring weather be it snow, rain or sun.

Additionally, the street features an eclectic mix of thrift shops, modern boutiques, amazing restaurants, tattoo parlours, themed bars, independent bookstores, art galleries and more — while still retaining the charm of its history as a hotspot for discount '80s prom dresses.

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Go on a date

Why You Need To Do This: Spring is the perfect time to find a significant other (or lover) to enjoy the upcoming summer months with. Plus, there's no shortage of options for fun date activities in the spring. Whether you're sharing a cocktail tree at SHAY, meeting a blind date at Verdun's new indie bookstore Pulp, picking up plushies at a claw arcade or taking a self-guided tour of the city, you're guaranteed a good time — even if true love never blossoms.

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Dance at Tam-Tams

When: Starting May 5

Address: 4200, av. du Parc, Montreal, Quebec (at the base of the mountain near the Monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier)

Why You Need To Do This: It's fun to play tourist in your own city. And no visit to Montreal is complete without a trip to Les Tam-tams du mont Royal where drummers and dancers and day drinkers and weed smokers convene for a chill Sunday meetup in the park. If nothing else, Tams is bound to whet your appetite for all the summer adventures to come.

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Pig out at a cabane à sucre (or cabane à sucre street festival)

When: March until the end of April or early May

Why You Need To Do This: No Quebecer should let a spring season pass without a trip to a sugar shack. We are lucky to live in the best place in the world for maple syrup so it's only right to satisfy our sweet tooth while also indulging in a full-course meal of Quebec classics (including fèves au lard, yellow pea soup, maple ham, meat pie, oreilles de crisse, cretons, sugar pie and more). While you're there, you might even get to take a horse or tractor ride through the grounds.

This year, you also have the option of going to the Cabane à Sucre festival in Verdun from March 21 to 24 where you can experience sugar shack vibes closer to home.

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Catch a show at the Montreal Fringe Festival

When: May 27 to June 16, 2024

Why You Need To Do This: The opportunity to see a plethora of local theatre shows at reasonable prices only comes around once a year. With Just for Laughs Comedy Festival cancelled this summer, you may find yourself craving live performances more than ever in the coming months, and Fringe is the ideal way to support Montreal artists while celebrating the vast amount of talent we have in our city.

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Celebrate Japanese culture at Japan Week & Yatai MTL

When: Japan Week from May 6 to 12, 2024, Yatai MTL from June 13 to 16*

Why You Need To Do This: From the food to the art, Japanese culture is something to celebrate. You can take part this spring in Montreal's Japan Week and YATAI MTL. While YATAI MTL is outdoors, the Facebook event explains that Japan Week takes place in participating businesses and highlights "the best your city has to offer in connection with Japan to [...] showcase the richness of this fascinating country: the best places to eat, to shop and to enjoy activities of all kinds."

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